Christmas. What does that mean to you and your family? Is it a spiritual occasion, or is it only a festive and a merry one? Is it a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ or not to be concerned about the Christian traditions associated with that day? More importantly, should a Christian even celebrate Christmas?

In considering those questions, bear in mind that Christmas traditions may differ according to where you live. For instance, in Mexico and other Latin-American countries, even the name is different. For the purpose of this article, we will consider a few of the beliefs and customs based on the traditional celebration of Christmas. Then, according to the origins of these customs, we'll analyze what a Christian's responsibilities may be toward the celebration of them.

One of the primary misleading notions regarding Christmas is the date itself. December 25th of a calendar year has been widely hailed as the birth date of Christ since the fourth century C.E., when the Roman Catholic Church designated that day for the religious observance of Jesus' birth. But does that date correspond with the actual birth of Christ?

It does not. The explanation of the December 25th date can be explained both secularly and biblically. Note what the Britannica Online Encyclopedia has to say on this subject:

"December 25 was first identified as the date of Jesus' birth by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 AD and later became the universally accepted date. One widespread explanation of the origin of this date is that December 25 was the Christianizing of the 'dies solis invicti nati' (day of the birth of the unconquered sun), a popular holiday in the Roman Empire that celebrated the winter solstice as a symbol of the resurgence of the sun, the casting away of winter and the heralding of the rebirth of spring and summer. Indeed, after December 25 had become widely accepted as the date of Jesus' birth, Christian writers frequently made the connection between the rebirth of the sun and the birth of the Son."

The date of December 25th was chosen, in part since it was already a day of established holiday, in this case, a Pagan holiday in celebration of the sun god. History shows there was a willingness on the part of the church to appropriate a pagan festival into a Christian one in order to further conversion of the peoples.

A review of the Gospel account of Luke chapter two further helps us to dispel a December birth date. Luke points out the

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